The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-05-06
A BOY WHO WAS WILD.


Five years ago the son of Mr.. John
White, of Syracuse, was sent to sea
because he was a trihe wild. From
Melbourne Mr.. White received a letter
from the captain stating his boy had
deserted and gone into the interior Of
the country. Later Mr.. White reCeiv-
ed short letter from his boy saying
he was in Melbourne. Months passed
and, hearing nothing more, Mr.. White
sent to the American Consul to try
and get some news of his son. He re-
ceived a reply that a young man an
swering Whites description had died
in the Melbourne hospital OF Typhoid
fever. The family have mourned for
their dead boy. Recently they were
surprised by his return.
Two days later, when White had
been home long enough to be allowed
out of his parents sight for a few
moments, he was met by Mail and
Express reporter, to whom he told
the story OF his wanderings. Seven
years ago, when he was only 10, he
was about as wild boy as could be
found wandering about without a
keeper.
My poor father tried everything to
persuade me to keep straight" said
White, "but one morning when |
returned from Yale with an Invitation
in my pocket to keep away from the
college in the future, the old gentle
man lost the last vestige his temper
and decided to send me to sea. did
not much mind the prospect then, but
if | had known all would have to go
through | think would have cut my
throat before | started. Arrange
ments were made for me on the
ship Black Hawk, bound to Mel
bourne, Australia. [ was to live
in the house with the carpenter and
h0ot swain, and to take my meals in
cabin at the second table. dlu
so for two days, but at the end fthat
time the captain ordered me to go
aloft and loosen the mainroyal. Ihad
not got over my seasickness, and the
prospect of climbing to that dizzy
height was not pleasant. Istarted all
the same. Ihad never been off the
deck, but had seen the sailors up
aloft, and it looked so easy that /
was quite sure could do almost as
we'll as they. When reached the top
and found had TO crawl over it like
a fly / began to weaken. To add to
my troubles, as l climbed higher the
motion of the vessel seemed to in
crease, and Ifelt awfully sick. look
ed down on deck to ask permission to
descend. Before | could do so be-
came dizzy. did not wait for any
further excuse. | seized the first rope
l saw and slid down. The captain
was in a. towering passion. He swore
at me and dubbed me until he got tired
and then said he would not have cab
in grub wasted in such reckless
way. | could move into the Gorecastle
and see if could eat salt horse and
hard bread. 1t took us 10 days to
reach Melbourne, and my life for that
time was a torment. Every time /
went on deck / was given the dirtiest
kind Of work. 1t was so bad that /
made up my mind to run away as
soon as the ship got in port. The
first night we made fast to the long
pier at Sandridge | slipped over the
side with my best clothes done up in
bundle and $50 which had brought
from home in my pockets, and started
to walk the three miles to Melbourne.
Iloafed round the Victoria Hotel
the first day | reached Melbourne and
got in with a rather tough set. Pok..
er was proposed in the evening and I
was done out of every cent. | had
paid days board in advance. so
| went to bed and thought over
what should do. | decided to
go to sea again. The next day / re-
turned to the same boarding-house
keeper who had hidden me away and
told him wanted O. ship. He soon
procured me one going to Shanghai
China. | was obliged to ship as an
able seaman, but thought they could
not find out how incompetent i was
until we got to sea and then they
could not throw me overheard, so /
would get to China anyway. Thetrip
was not pleasant by any means. The
chief officer in whose watch Twas took
dislike to me and all the nasty Jobs
about the ship fell to my share. The
captain was a first-rate man and did
not allow any III IL usage usage, SC got Of
pretty we'll until after we had arrived
in Shanghai and the captain had gone
on shore. Then the mate told me to
60 aiott. 1T was showing hard. !
went up with a pair OF mittens in my
hands. The mate yelled at me to
come down. AS my foot touched the
deck he struck me across the eyes
with Q piece of rope having an iron
ring on the end of IL.
| staggered to the combings OF the
hatch and drnlnnad thara with rnrr